Interview with artist Ildikó Morovszki-Halász

Ildikó Morovszki-Halász’s new painting exhibition is an ode to Hungarian-Indian painter Amrita Sher-Gil.

There is no doubt that India is a vibrant and culturally rich country. Naturally then it inspires many people differently and artists especially. Like the case of Hungarian artist Ildikó Morovszki-Halász whose work is largely inspired by India.

Ildikó’s started drawing as a child as she was inspired by her father was a hobby painter. “Drawing made me happy amongst all other activities so I decided to take up painting. I started to study art in high school and university as I felt a best expression of yourself and myself and mapping the world as I see it. I was carried away with art as for me art is the best way of self-expression.” In her early years, she used to draw with carbon and there was a period when she started to travel with my family when she switched to photography and held several artistic photography exhibitions of the artists and countries that she visited including. Georgia, Libya and Jordan. “It was in Libya and in Jordan where is started painting with people being the subject of my art. It was in India, that I started to paint practically everything that inspired me; the colours, the vibrancy and the people. India inspired me to use far more colours and this was where my artistic expression came out much more and more.” Since 1993 she has had 14 solo exhibitions including the one at JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru and she has also won three awards for her work.

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India has been an extremely important chapter of Ildikó’s artistic life. “Should I have not come to India with my family in 2015, I might have never made a reach for a brush, but upon arrival to India, I immediately started to feel the same strong inspiration for painting that my fellow Hungarian-born woman artist, Amrita Sher Gil must have felt, living here.” Incidentally her paintings are largely inspired by Amrita and by “Incredible India” and she started to paint India herself. “Looking onto Amrita as my Master, first, I made aquarelle studies on her most famous Indian oil paintings, with the goal to create a déjà vu feeling, expressing the original atmosphere of her paintings but with a different technique. By studying her works, she not only inspired me but also gave me the chance to improve my artistic skills. I am, extremely thankful for Amrita for being my mentor and master and for opening my artistic vision on India.” This is the first time that her works are being showcased in Bangalore and she says she is both happy and excited to be here. “Every show I do is a revelation and learning for me. I would love to see and hear people’s reaction to my art.”

Ildikó used Aquarelle in the past and nowadays she mainly paint in acrylic. However, the themes, the thematic and the atmosphere of her art remain the same, as India according to her is so colourful, rich and surprising that she admittedly never tires of painting India. “India evoked a real sense of spirituality in me – the culture, the people, the vibrancy and the colours. Looking onto her as my Master, first I made aquarelle reflections on her most famous Indian oil paintings and then started experimenting with colours and developing my own unique style which is what you will experience at this show.” Looking ahead, she plans to continue painting with India being her subject and showcase India in Hungary through her paintings.

Where: Art@ L1, JW Marriott Hotel Bengaluru

When: Saturday, 16th March 2019 7.00pm

This story first appeared in Deccan Chronicle Bengaluru dated 15th March 2019 here: